Azulão de Caruarú, like Zenilton and often Luiz Gonzaga, usually has at least several solid tracks on every album. O Baque Da Cancela is no exception. Essa Mulher Luxa Demais is a great swinger featuring Camarão on accordion and Azulão's trademark relaxed delivery.
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| Azulão (Caruarú) - O Baque Da Cancela - Esquema (1978) |
There is a lot of humor in forró, but also a history of clowning in the genre. Perhaps the prince of this is Genival Lacerda, but there was a large group of cheeky northeasterners including Luiz Wanderley, Gordurinha, and Coronel Ludru who were certainly going for laughs at times. Even Jackson Do Pandeiro can be seen sporting a Lampião outfit and having a bit of fun on the silver screen. I don't generally think of Sebastião Do Rojão as a clown, but the sleeve of O Balanço Da Mulata suggests a man who is up to some tomfoolery. Regardless of marketing, the LP is full of excellent songs including the wonderful Entrei De Gaiato (baião) featured this week.
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| Sebastião Do Rojão - O Balanço Da Mulata - Chantecler (1964) |
Past 1970, it is rare that to find mixed-gender forró groups. However, there were a few combos in the 1950s and 1960s, like Trio Marabá and Marinés e Süa Gente, that performed baioes (sometimes spelled baiãos) and forró. Trio Marabá harkened back to the group sound of the 1930s and 1940s. Trio Mossoró probably modeled themselves off of the more modern Marinés e Süa Gente, although Trio Mossoró featured male and female vocals and Marinés was the only singer in her group. This was highly unusual. Trio Mossoró records seem to be particularly desirable, thanks to the reputation of their De Norte a Sul LP.
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| Trio Mossoró - Terra de Santa Luzia - Cantagalo (1968) |
Mané Baião E Seus Cangaceiros is a wonderful and rare 1960s forró LP. While there seem to be a tidal wave of forró LPs from the 1970s, the 1960s seem to have a tenth of what would appear in the following decade, perhaps due to the derailing of Brazil by the military takeover. Mané Baião began his career at the tail-end of the 78rpm era in the early 1960s, but managed to transition to compactos and vinyl LPs during the drought-like 1960s.
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| Mané Baião E Seus Cangaceiros - Continental (1966) |
This Trio Nordestino, not to be confused with the Trio Nordestino from Alagoas, released a number of strong LPs in the early 1960s that have I foolishly overlooked. Os Grandes Sucessos collects songs from their 1963, 1965 and 1966 LPs. My favorite track from this compilation is Carta Ao Rio. The song is a rip-roaring côco with a killer chorus, reminiscent of some of the best 1960s Ary Lobo tracks.
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| Trio Nordestino - Os Grandes Sucessos Do - Magazine |
Quem Falou Está Errado is a 1960s rarity on compacto by Ciço Do Pará. Ciço's catalog is consistently strong. The New York Audio Fidelity label released a handful of Brazilian records. I only know of two LPs that cross over into the forró genre: this compacto and the dazzling LP from Venâncio e Corumba.
